The Perfect Plan
by kdalemama
Summary: Fiona Austin has the perfect plan to make Draco Malfoy hers. What could go wrong? Just about everything. Sometimes, you must be careful what you wish for.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   
**Author notes:** Huge thanks goes out to my beta reader, Alicia, for keeping me straight. Thank you to everyone for reading!  


Draco Malfoy always timed his entrances perfectly. It was part of his style, to ensure every eye was on him as he made his way to his destination. His housemates knew when to get out of his way and instinctually moved as he approached with that haughty, regal manner that was so distinctly _Malfoy_. So it was no surprise that early September morning was no different than any other day.

It was exactly halfway through breakfast. The early risers were finishing up their meals and many students were making their own way through the piles of food that appeared each morning courtesy of the house elves. Papers covered some of the tables as some students rushed to complete homework assignments. A few of the pupils, mostly Ravenclaws, had books propped in front of them, reading as they ate. However, the majority of the students used this time to enjoy their friends and the start of day.

Crabbe and Goyle at his sides, Draco made his way to his place at the head of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. As a seventh year, he had spent his time at Hogwarts earning this seat. Placement at the Slytherin table was much more complex than any of the other houses would have ever imagined and any Slytherin who dared to make a move up the table had better be ready to back up their new "position" within the house ranks. Malfoy currently held the position of power at the table – facing out over the rest of the hall, the perfect defensive spot with no one at his back – and this reflected his status among his housemates.

Fiona Austin sat in the Great Hall, moving her eggs from one side of her plate to the other while barely listening to her three roommates that were seated around her. As a sixth year Slytherin, she sat about a quarter of the way down the table, just down from Malfoy and company. Early on, she had made certain that her seat was on the opposite side of the table from Draco. Not too smart from a defensive standpoint, she knew, but it suited her strategy just fine. At this point, her strategy included watching him make his grand entrance of the morning. She covertly watched each step that he took from the moment he entered the room until he sat down next to Pansy Parkinson. 

Fiona's dark brown eyes narrowed as she stared at the two seventh years at the end of the table. In public, Pansy always claimed Draco as hers. Just watching the way that she was leaning against him, pressing so that he had a view down her robes made Fiona want to jump up and pull the trash away from him. Especially since it was well known in Slytherin House that Pansy only associated with Draco because of his position. As Fiona watched, Pansy suddenly leaned back and laughed. It was supposed to be flirtatious, but sounded like fingernails on Muggle chalkboards and made Fiona stab at her eggs as she pictured Pansy's face on her plate.

__

Stupid little bitch. Just has to be all over him in front of everyone.

As a piece of her breakfast flew off her plate, the dark-haired girl turned her attention fully to the one she had watched enter the hall, blocking the pug-nosed girl from her mind as she did so. Pale blonde hair, sharp gray eyes that took in every detail around him. A beautifully arrogant smile that turned to a sneer whenever Potter and his friends were nearby. She felt the anger ebb as she watched his hands handling the silverware and imaged that the hands were…

"…right, Fiona?"

Her friend and roommate, Dara Zabini, knocked Fiona out of her revelry. Dara was leaning across the table, looking at Fiona with a question in her eyes.

"Sorry?"

"Dreaming, again, eh? Who this time?" The other girls at the table laughed as Fiona blushed. Dara's escapades in the Astronomy Tower had become legend among her friends. Fiona, on the other hand, was known as the dreamer, the romantic one waiting for her prince to come, something that was quite an unusual attribute for a Slytherin. Of course, they all knew who the prince was and were quite willing to tease her as much as possible.

"Oh, just Snape, as usual…" The girls burst out in laughter. Dara stood and placed her arm across her forehead with dramatic flair.

"Severus, my master of Potions and so much more." Fiona rolled her eyes as Dara continued in a husky voice. She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and put her hands on her hips. "You know how to stir me the right way and can clean my cauldron any day, Snapy-poo."

"And you, Miss Zabini, may present yourself to my office at 8 p.m. this evening. I believe cauldron cleaning will be in order." Professor Snape turned toward the Head Table and stalked off, leaving the three other sixth year girls red-faced and struggling to hold in their merriment as Dara sighed dramatically. As soon as he was out of hearing range, the girls exploded in laughter.

"Only two weeks into the year before my first detention. That must be a record for me. Why didn't you warn me he was back there?" Dara dropped back down onto the bench. 

Fiona shrugged. "I didn't see him. Sorry, Dar."

"You done there or do you plan on moving the eggs around for another ten minutes?" Jillian Cooper asked. "I still need help with that Transfiguration assignment. You said we could review it before class." Jillian and Grace Von Tragon made up the final two of the foursome. 

Fiona sent one last glance toward the head of the table. Her gaze was met with a piercing stare and a smile as Draco nodded his head toward Dara. 

"Draco enjoyed your show, Dara." Dara leaned in and looked down the table at Draco who was silently applauding her performance. She stood and winked at him as the girls grabbed their bags and left the Great Hall for their first class of the day. Fiona only wished that she had the self-confidence that her friend displayed. Especially when it came to dealing with Malfoy.

They made their way to Professor McGonagall's classroom well before class was to start. Jillian opened her book and the girls began to review the assignment.

Fiona knew that she couldn't find better friends. The other houses may stereotype all of the Slytherins together as evil, but it just made them tighter as a group. She knew that her friends were there for her and they would remain true no matter what. They were also a major part of her plan. Who else would help her with all of the research and work that were now underway?

She had known that she would be different from the moment that she walked through the doors of the Great Hall. The walk to the front of the room was just short of torture. Even the stars twinkling brightly on the enchanted ceiling did nothing to calm Fiona's nerves. All of the faces turned to look at the first years as they walked in. She finally swallowed her fear and thought _I'll show you all_. Then as it had been for her whole eleven years, the curse of having a last name beginning with an "A" kicked in as Professor McGonagall began the Sorting Hat ceremony with…

"Austin, Fiona"

She had climbed the steps with a cool expression on her face and sat on the stool, placing the hat on her head as she did so. 

"Ah," she heard the hat say, the voice resounding in her head. "Austin, I see. As clever as your father, you would do well in his old house…"

__

I am better than my father is. He could be a great man if only he applied himself.

"So I see. Hmm, then maybe your mother's house…"

__

Boring, useless Hufflepuffs.

"Ah, yes. Well, Gryffindor would not suit you at all, so it must be...SLYTHERIN!"

Cheers had erupted from the Slytherin table as they received the first new student of the year. Fiona hopped off the stool and almost skipped to the table, a smug smile on her face as she began composing her letter to her parents in her head. _I suppose all of the ambition that you said I had, Mum, overrules any of my cleverness or loyalty._

The ceremony had finished soon after a girl with red hair joined a group of other redheads at the Gryffindor table. The headmaster stood to say a few words and the feast began. Out of the four girls that had been sorted into Slytherin, two appeared to already be friends and were eyeing Fiona and the other girl with speculation. They began to chat as they dug into their food. She found out that one of the girls had an older brother who was a second year Slytherin and with all of the information that she already knew, Dara Zabini was dubbed the Queen of Gossip.

The first year students were seated at the head of the table with the prefects readily accessible for any issues that may arise. Slytherins were all about outward appearances and even they did not see the point of intimidating the first years on the first night by making them walk the length of the Hall to the foot of the table. They were proud of their new housemates and would show them off that night. Then, discrete conversations in the common room would direct them to their "proper" positions for the next morning.

Fiona had turned to ask the prefect next to her a question about her raven, and that's when she saw him for the first time. Nudging her new friend, she tried to point toward him without drawing any attention to herself.

"Who's that?" She whispered.

"That, my new friend, is Trouble with a capital T."

He had glanced down the table toward the first years at that moment, smirking when he had seen her stare. She fell for him then, the proverbial head over heels. And the first spark of the Plan ignited in her head. Draco Malfoy would be hers.

She had been there when Harry Potter, also known as the Boy-Who-Got-All-The-Attention, was trying to avoid having his picture taken with Lockhart in the courtyard. The idiot professor was mumbling something about autographs and fame, oblivious to Potter trying to escape his grasp. She laughed with all of the other Slytherins when the comments were made about his Fan Club. Creevey and Weasley. Everyone at Hogwarts knew about their infatuation with Potter. Everywhere he went one of them followed. Fiona had smiled to herself because she was a better stalker than that little Weasley girl could ever be. And Fiona had improved her technique over the years while Weasley's attention to Potter became more and more apparent. Was she so dense that she couldn't even figure out the first rule? That you should be invisible.

Fiona knew this rule. And because she knew this rule, no one would ever accuse her of being a stalker. No one would call her the President of some stupid Fan Club. However, she knew Draco's schedule backwards and forwards - every step that he took. She knew every little habit he had, from the way he liked his tea (two sugars and just a tad of milk) to the way he laid his clothes out the night before so that he could sleep until the very last possible moment. 

Oh, her friends knew about her little hobby, but only because she allowed them to. Such was the distinction between the sly serpents and the stuck-up lions. 

Knowledge is power. The more information you had, the more power you held. A few choice words were just as capable of bending someone to your will as the mightiest sword and biggest fist. Dara Zabini may have been dubbed the Gossip Queen, but it was Fiona Austin who took the gossip and knew how to apply it. Dara may have been the leader of their group, but Fiona turned into the brains.

The drawback to being invisible was just that – you were. Everyone knew of this group of girls, but when asked who they were, people seemed to always overlook Fiona. It was always "Those Slytherin First Year (or Second Year or whatever year they were in) Girls" or "Dara Zabini and her friends". Even her fellow Slytherins tended to overlook her, something that was very rare for them to do. Yes, Fiona had mastered the invisibility rule.

So now here they were five years later, and Fiona's Perfect Plan had to be executed. Soon. Before Draco Malfoy left Hogwarts and left Fiona behind. And invisible. 


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.   
Author notes: Again, special thanks to my beta reader Alicia, for her worthwhile questions and overall understanding! Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read and review.  


The official "Plan" had started as a simple scheme during Fiona's second year. During one late night talk session; she had let it slip about her obsession with Malfoy. The other girls were stunned at first, as they had not expected this from their quiet friend. Giggling, they set up a complex schedule in order to get maximum exposure to the blonde Slytherin. The four girls knew his schedule back and forth and began to show up in the hallways between classes. The group also signed on to assist with patrolling for spies from other houses at the Quidditch pitch during the Slytherin practices.

After a few weeks, Dara declared that showing up between classes was getting old and declined to continue the routine. Jillian and Grace agreed as they had set their sights on two older boys, claiming that the second and third year ones were too immature. Fiona was left on her own and continued the complex routine with one exception – she merely watched Draco rather than putting herself in his path continuously.

All of the planning and scheming did not make witty conversation roll from Fiona's tongue whenever he was around. Dara would drag her over to where her brother sat with Malfoy and his friends and while she talked with them all, Fiona was lucky to get a coherent statement out of her mouth.

Periodically over the years, Dara would jump back into the Plan for a short time, only to be bored easily when nothing came of it. So Fiona resorted to developing her own. By the end of her fifth year, it was complete. Now she needed her friends more than ever, to help her put the Plan in action.

The cauldron sat in the corner of the room in between Fiona and Dara's beds. There was a blue fire flaming underneath and the contents bubbled violently, threatening to go over the top. Dara, being the best of their group at Charms, had put a Fireproof charm on the floor and Concealment charms on the area. To anyone who happened to wander through their room, it looked like Dara had simply flung half of her wardrobe over her desk. 

Fiona sat on the floor with her legs crossed under her. She stirred the bubbling liquid five times clockwise before consulting the parchment on the floor next to her. _Boil for seven minutes. Add one teaspoonful of crushed Bishop's weed seeds. _ She set a timing charm and got out the small envelope of seeds. She poured the contents into her mortar and quickly crushed them to a fine powder.

Her face had a look of peaceful concentration. Whether it was from natural talent or all of the years she spent growing up at her father's side, one thing was certain – Fiona had the makings to be a Potions Master. Her ability at this age outperformed her father's and even rivaled Professor Snape's ability (something that he would never admit, even about a member of his own House). Marcus Austin owned a small apothecary in Dewsbury just south of Leeds and was the premier Potions Master in the area. A Ravenclaw when he was at Hogwarts, Fiona's father had the intelligence but lacked any driving ambition. He was perfectly content with his small shop, servicing the needs of the nearby wizarding community. He allowed the IOUs to stack up and was even known to come home with chickens and other items that had been bartered for his wares. 

Fiona had spent the past five summers as his apprentice and had wasted a lot of time on her father's disorganized accounting system. At least she had been there that day that Mr. Seawell had attempted to give her father a goat in exchange for over 300 galleons worth of potion ingredients. She stopped that trade faster than one could say _Expelliarmus. _Like her family needed a goat.

Her strong marks in Potions helped to balance the mediocre ones she received in her other classes, outside of Herbology. At least with Herbology, Fiona could relate the information to her potion making which made it easier for her to remember the information. Her father was disappointed that her marks were not higher overall, but was very proud of her accomplishments in Potions. Her mother was simply waiting for her to bring home potential marriage material. Each letter from home revolved around the same theme – her father would ask about her classes and her mother would ask about her social life.

__

Stir clockwise once, then counterclockwise for ninety seconds. Add three slices of Panax Ginseng and remove from heat source. Cool to 24 degrees.

Following the instructions, Fiona stirred carefully and added the ginseng. She whispered quietly and extinguished the blue flames as Grace entered the room wrapped in a lavender silk robe, a towel draped over her arm.

"Oh, are you done?" She asked with a hushed voice as she walked over to the corner where Fiona sat. 

"No, not yet. It needs to cool and then I have to add the last ingredient. Then it steeps overnight." Fiona looked behind Grace at the door of the room. "Just waiting on Jillian and Dara. I hope they didn't run into any trouble. If we don't add that ingredient tonight, then the whole potion will be ruined."

"Not to worry. They'll be back any moment. And you will be one step closer to belonging to the Prince of Slytherin."

"Pardon me. You have that backwards. _He_ will belong to _me_." The two girls grinned at each other.

It was after midnight and the dungeons were as quiet as a tomb. The shadows in the corridor lengthened as Jillian whispered softly and half of the lights went out. She turned and gestured to Dara who was around the corner. The two girls were on a mission. Only one ingredient was missing from the lengthy list Fiona had shown them at the beginning of the term. Unfortunately, it was one that was not standard for student use and closely regulated in most shops. Fiona had spent the summer gathering the ingredients and needed this last one before brewing the potion. Her father hadn't missed the small amounts of the other ingredients that she had borrowed, but this was one that he definitely would have missed.

As the girls crept along the wall, they suddenly heard footsteps headed in their direction. They quickly stepped back into a small alcove and tried to make themselves invisible.

As the footsteps grew closer, they peered out to see who approached. Seeing whom it was, Dara glanced at Jillian and smiled. As soon as the person had passed their location, Dara stepped out and grabbed him, clamping her hand over his mouth before he could scream.

"Shh, you don't want Filch to hear, do you?"

The boy nodded slowly, his eyes widening as he turned to face his attacker. "Dara, what in bloody hell do you think you are doing?"

"I could ask you the same, my dear brother."

Blaise Zabini glared at his sister. The tall dark-haired teen stood over her by a head, but the look in their eyes was identical. Dara was not one to be intimidated by her brother.

"I was…"

"Drop it, Blaise. Jill and I can see what you've been doing. By the way, that's a lovely shade of lipstick."

Blaise swore under his breath as he rubbed violently at his mouth. Dara and Jillian looked at each other and an understanding passed between them.

"We are out on a quest and since you ran into us, we now have all the help we need to accomplish our goal." Dara smiled innocently at Blaise as he processed her statement.

"I'm not helping, Dar. I've got to set back to the dorm. I'm not getting involved in any of your schemes."

"Oh, you will help us, my beloved sibling. Unless you want your girlfriend to know where you've been. Since she was in our room studying when we left the dorm, she may be interested in knowing why you've suddenly developed an urge to wear red lipstick." Blaise had been dating Grace for the past year.

Blaise's eyes narrowed. "Fine. What are we doing?"

"Just need a little ingredient for a Potion. You can run on into the Potions storeroom and pick it up for us. We'll stand guard."

The three students started down the hall and crept slowly toward the Potions classroom. Arriving outside, Dara quickly disarmed the wards surrounding the door. Professor Snape had warded it well, but not against the upper year Slytherins who were familiar with most of the basic warding spells that he used. After all, he would never expect his own House to need to break in. Most of them had their own outside sources for ingredients.

"No sign of Snape. Go on, Blaise. We will cover you. Just get three ounces of Damiana tonic." He felt a small bottle press into his hand. Slipping it into a pocket in his robe, Blaise held his wand loosely in his hand, opened the door and slowly entered.

Dara felt Jillian as she moved up next to her. "So, who do you think he was with?" 

"Well, I bet it was that Ravenclaw, Lisa somebody. She's been flirting with him for years now. And I've heard other rumors about her as well. "

"What do we tell Grace?"

"We don't tell her anything. We will just need to make certain that she finds out somehow. No one is going to cheat on one of my best friends - not even my brother. Now, go check the end of the corridor and make sure no one is coming."

Jillian stepped quietly to the end of the corridor, using the shadows to hide her movements. Dara leaned into the classroom, her eyes searching out her older brother. She found him by Snape's desk, filing through the papers.

"What do you think you are doing?" She had moved silently across the room until she stood behind him. Blaise was so engrossed in the papers; he hadn't noticed her approach. As she spoke, he jumped into the air, barely holding in a scream.

"Bloody hell! Why'd you sneak up on me?"

"We don't have time for this, you prat. Did you get the tonic?"

"Yeah, it's right here." He held up the vial, now containing a bright blue liquid. She took the bottle from him, rolling it around in her hand before pocketing it in her robe.

"Then let's get out of here before someone finds us."

The Zabini's left the classroom, meeting up with Jillian outside the doorway. The threesome ran quietly through the hallways to the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Dara whispered the password and the students entered. Jillian took the vial from Dara and went down the stairs toward the girls' dormitory. Dara started to follow when Blaise grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"You are going to keep this quiet, right?"

"Why my dearest brother, what are you so worried about?"

"You can't tell Grace that I was out."

Dara stared at her brother for a long moment. "Since you helped us, your secret is safe. For now. However, you better watch yourself, Blaise. There are other ways that she can find out." She smiled at her brother. "Night."

"Good night." Blaise scowled as he watched his sister leave the common room before sighing and heading to bed himself.

Jillian entered the dorm and sat down on the floor where Fiona sat measuring the temperature of the cauldron's contents. She sniffed the air, wrinkling her nose at the foul odor.

"That is awful, Fiona."

"It will smell better after I add the tonic. You did get it, right?"

Jillian passed the bottle to Fiona. "How much longer until it is ready?"

"It will be ready in the morning." Fiona rechecked the temperature and reviewed the last directions.

__

Add three ounces of Damiana tonic. Stir for seven minutes. Add thirteen drops of blood from the person who desires the bond. In order to achieve maximum potency, the blood must be fresh. Stir once while reciting the following incantation:

"Pario Nodus A Venenum!" Fiona chanted as she stirred the potion. Her roommates stood around her and watched as the potion changed to a pale pink liquid.

"Is that it?" Dara asked.

"It is finished. Now we just wait until the morning. We did it." Fiona placed the cauldron on her desk and stepped aside to allow Dara to recast the concealment charm.

Fiona smiled at her friends as they prepared for bed. This was going to work. She could feel it somehow. The girls climbed into their beds and said good night. One by one, they fell asleep until only Fiona was left.

__

I cannot wait until tomorrow, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes:  A very special THANK YOU to my new beta reader – Green Fairy.   Thank you also for taking the time to read this story.

All the other houses (and the majority of the professors) thought of the dungeons as a dark, dismal part of Hogwarts (since most of their experience was linked to the Potions classroom, which would never be mistaken for a cheerful place).  Countless Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors wondered how the Slytherins could exist in such conditions.  Few of them ever got friendly enough with the Slytherins to discover the secret.  The common room, having no windows, had a tendency to be cold and damp, but the dormitories were another story altogether. One thing that no student had yet discovered was how the Slytherin dorm rooms had windows to the outside.

Fiona awoke to find the morning sunlight breaking through the autumn clouds and brightening up the room.  Rolling over, she remembered the potion and scrambled out of bed to check on it.  The liquid in the cauldron had deepened in color overnight and was now a deep red.  She searched through her trunk and pulled a wooden box.  Carrying it to her bed, she sat down and opened it.

Over the years of working with her father, she had seen many beautiful items pass through the store, many of which were containers for various potions and ingredients.  When one caught her eye, she would plead with her father to allow her to have it, usually in exchange for extra help with his tasks.  He almost always agreed in the end – this is a man who was heavily into bartering.  

The box contained her most cherished treasures – an assortment of bottles and vials.  She gently removed one of the bottles from the box.   It was a tall slender crystal bottle that reflected light in different colors from its many facets.  Fiona took the bottle to the desk and carefully poured the potion into it.  The sunlight struck the potion-filled decanter and the room was suddenly awash in a rich garnet tone.

"What is that?  Is that the potion?  Is it done?"  Dara scrambled over her bed toward her friend and tried to grab the container from her.  Fiona moved swiftly and stored it carefully in her trunk.

"It is ready.  And I'll use it after classes."

"Can't we do it now?"

"No, _we_ can't.  _We are going to breakfast and then to class and then later __I will use the potion."  Fiona managed to say all of this to her friend as she pulled on her clothes and straightened her robe._

"You get to have all the fun."

Fiona looked over at Dara who was pouting on her bed.  "You know I have to do this on my own, Dar.  It's the only way to make sure the spell will work.  Besides, you will get to hear all the details later."

This appeared to satisfy the Slytherin beauty and the girls started their day.

Fiona found that it was nearly impossible to keep her mind on her work.   In Charms, she lost concentration in the middle of practicing a binding spell and her partner (a Hufflepuff) ended up with his wrists bound to the curtain rods rather than being bound together.  She had been embarrassed and the rest of the Slytherins had laughed at the poor boy.  Professor Flitwick had taken ten points from Slytherin for her attempt but it had been rather comical, as the curtain rods were ten meters off the ground. 

Divination had not been much better.  She was still uncertain why she continued to take this class, as the only thing she had ever correctly predicted was a rain shower.  Like that wasn't hard to do in Scotland.  However, today had been worse than other days, as Professor Trelawney had caught her with a copy of Teen Witch under the table and then gone on to predict that a great error due to her inattention would cost Fiona dearly.  Stupid old bat.  Well, at least she hadn't lost any more House points.  Or her copy of Teen Witch.

Finally, classes were over and her roommates were under strict orders to stay away from the dorm room until after dinner.  Fiona sat alone in the room with her eyes closed, taking a few deep breaths.  She pulled out her parchment and quill and sat for a moment, deciding how best to word the note.  Finally deciding that the simple approach would be the best, she wrote:

_Meet me in the Trophy Room at midnight tonight. _

_Now for step two._  The dark-haired girl reached into her trunk and removed the crystal bottle, then slipped on her dragon-hide gloves. Laying the parchment flat on the desk, she carefully dripped the potion onto it, being sure to cover it entirely.  She picked up her wand and dried the document and then repeated the process until the potion was finished.  She then charmed the note for human touch.  

Folding the parchment carefully, she turned to the raven perched on her bedpost.

"Mabon, please deliver this to my true love."  

The raven bobbed his head as if nodding and grabbed the note in his beak before flying off.

_My plan is now underway._  Fiona smiled to herself.  If only she had seen the expression on Mabon's face as he flew toward the Great Hall.  Even a Slytherin should know better than to trust a raven.

The raven circled the Great Hall and not finding his target began to circle the castle.  He finally sighted him on the Quidditch pitch having just finished practice.  The black bird landed on his shoulder and after delivering the message shrieked loudly.  The boy unfurled the parchment and his eyes widened as he read it.  Shoving the note in his pocket, he stared hungrily up at the castle before continuing to the changing rooms.

Fiona arrived in the trophy room at 11:30, having scouted the perimeter first to check for Filch and Mrs. Norris.  Whispering, she put out all of the lights on the far side of the room, leaving only the two near the west doorway lit.  She then spent a few minutes ensuring that the charm was in place.  _Only a few more minutes now.  She could hardly stand still._

It was time.

He entered the room slowly, pulling out his wand when he noticed the darkness.

"Lu-"

"No," Fiona quickly interrupted.  "Leave it dark."  

He walked slowly across the room.  Fiona kept her head down, suddenly nervous. 

"Fiona?"  He whispered her name softly.  "You sent me the note?"

"Yes."  She whispered back.  Somehow, whispering seemed the only way to speak in the semidarkness.

"Why me?"

He was standing very close now, in order to hear her whispered response.  She could smell the scent of his skin; the smell of citrus mingled with sweat.  Was he as nervous as she was?  He, who had most of girls in the school lusting after him?

"Why not you?  You know that you are one of the most desirable men in the school.  No one can keep their eyes off of you when you enter a room – you make certain of that fact.  And besides…" She broke off, uncertain of how to continue.

"What?"  He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers gently, urging her to continue.

"You will think it's stupid."

"Tell me."  He tried to raise her head to look into her eyes, but she resisted.  

"I had a vision.  In Divination.  I know that you think it's all worthless, but I saw us together."

His hand stilled for a moment when she spoke these words.  He then moved his hand and ran it through her hair.  Fiona closed her eyes as shiver ran through her.  Bringing his other hand up, he tilted her head back and leaned in to kiss her gently.  She relaxed into the kiss, and suddenly found her hands running through his hair as well.  _Soft_, she thought.  The kiss deepened, their lips parting and tongues lightly teasing each other.

As they broke apart, he leaned his forehead against hers and wrapped his arms around her.  She smiled and seeing this, he smiled as well.  Her head was leaning against the warm wool of his jumper.  _Funny, I thought of him as a cashmere person._

A few more minutes of tender whispers and kisses and Fiona knew his lips as well as her own.  Lips that could be firm but at the same time gentle.  Kisses that said nothing, but at the same time said everything.  

"We'd best be going now," he whispered to her.  She didn't want to leave, but knew that he was watching out for them.  Filch could show up at any moment.

"Yes," she whispered back, still reluctant to meet his eyes, afraid that he may see more than she wanted him to.  What if he discovered the charm?

"I'll see you tomorrow?"  he asked her quietly, as he stepped towards the door.

"Oh, yes."

"Good."  She heard the smile in his voice as he turned and left the room.

A wicked grin flickered across her face.

_Draco Malfoy, you are mine now._

The curtains on the four-poster bed were closed, but the teenager lying on the bed could still hear his roommates' snores.  He had crept back into the dormitory without anyone noticing, after passing through a common room that was unusually devoid of late night inhabitants. There were no games of Exploding Snap underway, no student sitting up to finish reading a chapter.  He was disappointed in a way that the excuses that he had planned came to naught.

After stripping down to his boxers, he had crawled into the bed that had been warmed by the house-elves.  He lay silently, replaying the last hour in his head. It had been a shock to receive the note, and even more of a shock to discover who had sent it.  But when he had reached the trophy room, there had been a pull from across the room that he could not ignore.  He hadn't really noticed Fiona before.  

**_You never noticed her before?  Are you blind?_**

_Not like THAT.  I mean, she is pretty.  Her hair is gorgeous.  And those eyes.  But she's not one of the girls that the guys are tripping over to snog in the Astronomy Tower._

**_But you noticed her tonight…_**

_Oh, yeah.  I couldn't help but notice her.  It was almost like being in a trance.  I saw her across the room and I felt as though time had stopped.  I have never felt that way around anyone before.  My heart jumped up into my throat and somehow I just knew that it was meant to be.  Sounds crazy, right?_

**_So, what now, Romeo?_**

_Er…Wait, am I talking to myself?_

**_No, this would be thinking to yourself._**

_As long as I'm not going crazy.  _

**_So, what's next?_**

_Flowers._

**_Flowers?_**

_Girls like flowers, right?_

**_You're asking me?_**

_Er, right.  _

**_Flowers, eh?_**

_Tomorrow._

With that settled in his mind, he turned over on his side.  Tomorrow he would give Fiona some flowers at breakfast.  

And Ron Weasley fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes:  A very special THANK YOU to my new beta reader – Green Fairy.   Thank you also for taking the time to read this story.

_The three-foot waves crashed relentlessly into the boat.  The small two-seater tipped from side to side, allowing water to slosh in and threaten to capsize the craft.  A low voice suddenly cut through the deep mist._

_"Harry," it whispered to him._

_"Harry."  It was getting louder.  The voice crept toward his ear, repeating his name as the boat continued to rock ferociously. _

_"Harry!" _

Harry opened his eyes to the sight of his best friend bouncing up and down next to him on his bed.

"I've been trying to wake you up forever!"  Ron exclaimed.  "Come on, mate.  We can't be late for breakfast."

Harry glanced at his friend and grumbled to himself as he sat up.  He climbed out of bed, grabbed his clothes and went off to the bathroom.  _Something is up, _he thought.  Ron was not known as an early riser – in fact, he usually needed to be dragged from bed.  Harry headed back to the bedroom, grabbed his books and headed out the door, meeting up with his roommates in the common room.

"Alright, Ron.  Spill it."

"Sorry?"  The redhead looked at his friend, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Why are you so happy this morning?  You are never the first one awake."

Ron's eyes widened slightly and he looked away, moving toward the portrait hole.  "No reason.  Let's go.  I'm hungry."

The group left the common room for the Great Hall, arriving a few minutes later.  Harry and Ron sat down across from Dean, Seamus, and Neville and they filled their plates.  Dean and Seamus began to shovel food in their mouths like they had been starved for days.  Neville and Harry ate at a slower, but still fast pace.  The exception today was Ron, who would take a few bites and then search the room with his eyes.

Seamus and Dean started to argue the merits of bacon versus sausage, drawing the attention of most of the students at their end of the table.  This gave Harry the opportunity to study Ron more closely. He saw that the redhead's attention was clearly focused on…the Slytherin table? Something was definitely off.

Ron appeared to be oblivious to the scrutiny Harry had him under.  He was eating automatically, staring across the Great Hall.  Harry had been watching Ron out of the corner of his eye since they entered the hall and was surprised as his friend's eyes followed a group of girls as they entered the room and sat down at the Slytherin table.  Looking over at that group of sixth years, Harry didn't see anything out of the ordinary.  Still, Ron seemed to have his eyes glued to them.

Fiona had started her day like any other.  She ignored the curious glances of her roommates, who were in agony with the desire to know what had happened the night before.  She had expertly dodged the questions to this point.  Sitting in her usual spot at the table, she was able to watch Draco as she ate her breakfast and wondered when she could meet him again.

The Great Hall filled with noise as the post arrived.  Owls flew around, searching for their targets.  Fiona was surprised when a school owl landed in front of her with a package and note.  The note was short and simple.

_Please meet me in the Entrance Hall after classes.  I can't wait to see you again._

Grinning wildly, Fiona pulled on the string to open the package.  As the string fell away, the box opened and a beautiful bouquet of flowers emerged.  Pink roses, fragile heather, and delicate lily-of-the-valley were artfully arranged in a crystal vase.  

"Oh, how lovely!"

The girls of the table crowded closer to smell the fragrance.  Fiona's smile widened further.  She leaned back to allow Grace room to sniff and as she did, she looked down toward the head of the table.  Draco was staring at the flowers and as she watched, his gaze moved to her.  He nodded slightly and returned his attention to his breakfast.

_How sweet,_ Fiona thought.  _He is acting shy!_

She decided to take the bouquet to her room rather than carry it to her classes, as much as she would like to do so.  She grabbed the vase and her bag and left the Hall.  A moment later, she heard a voice behind her calling her name.  She turned to find a redhead, a Gryffindor, a _Weasley_ running to catch her.

"Fiona!"  He was out of breath from the running and gasped out her name.

"Yes?"

"How are you?"

"Is there something you wanted, Weasley?  I've got to get this back to my room."

Ron looked shocked by the cool tone she was using.  "I wanted to give you this," he said, pulling a perfect pink rose from his bag.

"Did you get knocked over the head, Weasley?  I don't need your flower.  I have plenty right here."  She gestured toward the bouquet.  "And only one flower?  Hope you didn't have to sell anything too important to buy that."

Ron stood in front of her with his mouth open.  After Fiona finished speaking, it took a moment for him to respond.

"But, Fiona…"

She cut him off.  "Great try, Weasley.  But you need to work on your timing."  She turned toward the staircase with a little wave and walked away.

Ron stood motionless as she left.  He didn't understand what had just happened.  Were there too many people around?  Did she want to meet in secret?  Hopefully she would explain everything when they met after class. 

Classes seemed to fly by and in no time Fiona found herself in the Entrance Hall.  Maybe she should have taken Dara's advice and been fashionably late, but Fiona was too excited.  She was the first out of History of Magic and had raced down the corridors.  She stood off to the side, watching as other students wandered through on their way to enjoy the late autumn day.

"Fiona!"  She heard a voice behind her and turned in anticipation only to find…

"Weasley.  What do you want now?"

"Sorry I'm late.  Would you like to take a walk by the lake?"  Ron asked.

"What do you mean, you are late?  Did you actually think I was here to meet you?  You really don't know when to give up, do you?  And that's twice today I've seen you without that know it all friend of yours.  Are you looking to upgrade?"

They heard a laugh from the staircase and saw Draco watching them as he approached.  He caught Fiona's eye and gestured for her to follow him out the door.  She smiled and turned back to Ron.

"Now if you will excuse me, I have important people to meet with.  Why don't you run along and find your friends?  I'm certain that they are having trouble functioning without you."  With that, she walked out after Draco.

Ron was certain that he looked like an idiot as Fiona left him standing alone.  After everything she had said last night, there was no way he could have misinterpreted her intentions.  The only conclusion was that this was part of some elaborate joke and shortly it would be all over the school how a Slytherin had made him chase after her.

However, that didn't begin to express the depth of feeling he was currently experiencing.  He barely knew her, yet at this point she was consuming his thoughts.  He was tempted to say he was in love, but Ron did not believe in love at first sight so he refused to label what he was feeling as love.  

With his shoulders slumped over, Ron walked slowly back to Gryffindor Tower, collapsed on his bed and fell asleep.

Harry had watched the scene silently and undetected with a mixture of dread and curiosity.  His best friend was practically throwing himself at a Slytherin?  He was happy that his friend was showing such tremendous interest in someone after his short, yet tumultuous relationship with Hermione and he was glad that Ron was taking the initiative in approaching her.  On the other hand, Harry was tempted to drag Ron up to the Hospital Wing and have him committed.  Why her when so many other girls had shown interest in the Gryffindor Keeper?

Draco had waited for Fiona outside the door and the pair walked down to the shore of the lake.

"Austin."

"Malfoy.  Something I can help you with?"  Somehow in all of the anger she felt towards the Gryffindor she had forgotten that she was speaking to Draco Malfoy of all people and her shyness was not present.  _So this is what it feels like, she thought to herself._

"Just wanted to congratulate you for what you said to the Weasel back there.  I could not have said it better myself."  He sat down beside her, so close that she could smell the cologne he was wearing, reminding her of pine forests and flying.  She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"Why, thank you."  The two sat in silence for a few moments, watching the sun slowly set across the lake.  Fiona did not want to break the mood by mentioning the night before, so she decided to let Draco make the first move.  Apparently he felt as comfortable with the quiet as she did and neither spoke.  Just as the sun lost its struggle to remain in the sky, Draco stood up and held out his hand to help Fiona to her feet.

"Must be time for dinner.  Shall we go?"

"Thank you."  She allowed him to pull her up and they walked together toward the castle.  

Just as they reached the steps, Draco grabbed Fiona's arm and stopped her.  "Fiona, next weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend.  We should go together.  Then we could think up more insults for the Weasel over a Butterbeer or two.  What do you say?"

Fiona could only nod her response, afraid if she opened her mouth to speak she would stutter over the words.  They entered the castle and made their way to the Great Hall for dinner, both of them smiling.  One with a star-struck smile and the other with a malicious grin.

The following two weeks brought few changes to Hogwarts, except in one crucial area.  After seeing her receive the flowers and stand up to Weasley in the Entrance Hall, Draco had realized that Fiona existed.  He walked with her to meals in the Great Hall (even though they sat with their own friends) and waited for her between classes if his class was nearby.  They sat together in the common room working on their homework.  Fiona was in heaven.  

Ron spent the same two weeks in a state of depression.  He refused to eat much and snapped at Hermione more than usual when she showed concern.  He began to answer Harry's questions with grunts and single phrases and even declined to play Exploding Snap with his roommates.  When Harry found him vomiting in the bathroom one morning, he finally had enough.  He sat down on the edge of his bed and waited to confront Ron.

Ron stumbled out of the bathroom and collapsed on his bed groaning and holding his stomach.  Harry locked the door to the dormitory and walked to his friend's side.  He sat on the end of the bed and began to question his friend.

"Ron, what is wrong?"

"Go away."  Ron's voice was muffled by his pillow.

"I'm not leaving until we talk.  And neither are you."

Ron raised his head and glared at Harry.  "Who turned you into my mother?"

"Well, if that's what it takes to get you to talk to me – that's the most you've said to me in a week.  You are not eating, barely sleeping, and now this," he said gesturing to the bathroom. "Tell me what is going on.  Have you seen Madam Pomfrey?"

The redhead sighed and rolled over to his back.  "I don't know what is wrong.  I feel like a troll has hit me.  I ache all over but especially here," he stated pointing at his chest.

This alarmed Harry.  He remembered an advertisement he had seen on the television during the past summer that listed the symptoms of a heart attack.  He jumped up and began to mutter under his breath about heart attacks, stretchers and the Hospital Wing.  Ron reached over and grabbed his arm as he paced back and forth.

"No, Harry.  That's not what I mean."

"Then explain it to me before I get McGonagall up here and get you to the Hospital Wing."  Harry took a deep breath and willed himself not to panic.

"I feel like my heart has been ripped out, stomped on, and put back in."

Harry stopped pacing and stared at his best friend in astonishment.  "This is about HER?  You've been acting like this for weeks and it is all about a bloody Slytherin? You've got to be joking.  You are not acting like yourself at all."

"I know it's stupid, Harry.  But I can't explain it any other way."

"And now are you making yourself sick over it?  Are you sure nothing else is going on?"

"I don't know anymore.  Will it make you feel better if I go to the Hospital Wing after classes?"  Ron pleaded with Harry to drop the subject.

"I think it would make all of us feel better.  Hermione is worrying herself sick over you."

Ron looked at his friend and nodded.  He knew that his friends had been worried and if getting checked out would ease their minds it was the least he could do.  He would go to the Hospital Wing straight after classes were over.


	5. Chapter 5

October arrived at Hogwarts on the heels of crisp autumn breezes and piles of homework. Students had settled into the routine of school and that Thursday afternoon was no exception. Fiona was seated at her usual table in the library, her nose buried deep in an old book on human transfiguration. Dara sat across from her, casually flipping through the Herbology text and sighing loudly.

"Dara, could you please be quiet? I've got to finish this essay for McGonagall."

Dara placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward on her hands. "But it's not due until Monday. Please, Fiona, I need your help with this Herbology assignment. You can work on that tomorrow."

"Can't. I'm busy tomorrow." 

"Meeting Draco?" Fiona blushed slightly and avoided Dara's eyes.

The two of them had not noticed their head of house approaching the table. Professor Snape cleared his throat to interrupt the conversation and both girls looked up suddenly.

"Miss Austin, if you would come with me." He turned, his robes billowing out behind him.

Fiona shrugged her shoulders at Dara's curious glance, gathered her books and followed Snape out of the library. She found herself moving at an almost trot in order to keep up with his normal pace.

"Sir, may I ask where we are going?"

He stopped suddenly in front of a gargoyle and without acknowledging her, muttered something under his breath. The statue sprung aside and a staircase appeared and began moving upwards. He gestured to Fiona to precede him up the stairs and followed after her.

At the top of the stairs, Fiona found herself outside the Headmaster's office. Professor Snape knocked on the door and was immediately bid entrance for the two of them. Portraits of previous Headmasters lined the walls, all of them in deep sleep. Shelves full of books stretched up toward the ceiling. To one side of the massive desk was a bird perch, empty for the moment. 

At this point, Fiona's nerves were getting the best of her. In her previous five years at Hogwarts, she had not had any reason to be called to Dumbledore's office. She looked at Snape's face to see if she could gather any information but his expression was impassive as it usually was in group situations. Typically, the Potions Master could be counted on to help out his Slytherins with a wink or a nod, but it looked as though she was on her own in this case. And since she was one of his favorite students, that did not provide her with any reassurance. If she was in trouble, he would not hesitate to make her life difficult.

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk, a grave look on his face. His normally twinkling eyes were solemn. He stood as they entered, and indicated for them to be seated. Fiona sat on the edge of the chair he had designated while her Head of House settled in the one to her right.

"Miss Austin, thank you for joining us. I am certain that you are wondering why we have called you here today."

She nodded; not certain if she could trust her voice to speak. The old wizard levitated a piece of parchment across the room until it was in front of Fiona.

"Do you recognize this, Miss Austin?"

"Y-y-yes, s-sir."

"Can you explain how it ended up in Mr. Weasley's possession?"

Fiona's jaw dropped. "Pardon me, Professor?"

Snape snorted suddenly, causing Fiona to jump in her seat. "For Merlin's sake, Miss Austin. If you were set on seducing someone, why did you set your sights on a _Weasley_? I thought you had better taste than that."

She turned toward Snape in anger. "Pardon me, Professor, but I did not send that letter to any Gryffindor and certainly would not have sent it to Mr. Weasley."

Dumbledore spoke, directing the attention of both of the Slytherins back to him. "Who was the intended recipient of the letter, Miss Austin?"

"I sent it to Draco Malfoy, but he did receive the letter. I met him that night."

"Very curious. You see, Miss Austin, Mr. Weasley has informed us that he is the one that received this note from you and is the one that met you that night."

Fiona looked from one of her professors to the other in deep confusion. "I know that it was dark that night and hard to see, but I don't know how I could have mistaken Draco for someone else. And then the next day he sent me flowers…"

"Did he sign the note with the flowers? Or did you assume that he was the one that sent them to you? Because Mr. Weasley insists he is the one responsible for the flowers as well."

At this point, Fiona was beyond confused. "Alright. But I'm sorry, Headmaster, I am confused. Even if I did meet him, and I'm certain that I did not, why would that involve anyone else at this point?"

"Miss Austin, it is not the actual relationship that concerns me. In this case, we know that the _Furere_ _Aliqua_ Potion was used on this letter. What I need to know from you is, did you use any other charms or potions?"

Fiona knew that she was in trouble by the Headmaster's tone but she also knew that it was useless to hide any information at this point. "I-I used the _Redamo_ charm."

At this, Snape exploded out of his chair and began to yell as he paced back and forth across the office. "I would have never expected something like this from someone with your level of knowledge in Potions. A Hufflepuff, maybe, but I never expected such a level of incompetence from you. Did you even read all of the warnings, Fiona? Or were you so desperate that you just jumped ahead and did what you wanted without any…"

"Severus, that's enough." Dumbledore broke into Snape's rant before he could go any farther. "Miss Austin, what Professor Snape is trying to say is that when the potion and charm are used together there can be some unwanted side effects."

Snape pulled out a copy of _Most_ _Potente_ _Potions_ and opened it to the chapter containing the potion she had brewed. In the footnote in very small print was a warning regarding the use of the potion and the very charm that she had cast. _In order to prevent concomitant use, when used together this combination has a high probability of resulting in…_

"Heart Binding? Sir, what does this mean? I'm bound to Draco?"

At this, her Head of House sat back down in his chair, his hands in his face. After a moment of silence, he looked over at her and sighed. "Fiona, have you been listening to what we have been saying? Draco never got your note."

"How could that be?" 

"When you sent the letter to Mr. Malfoy, exactly how did you word it?"

"I sent it with my raven and told him to take it to Draco."

"Are you certain about that?" The Headmaster's eyes gazed upon her intently.

Fiona closed her eyes and thought hard "No, you are right. I told him to take it to…my true love." She slumped back in her seat, dejected. _This can't be happening to me._

"We tested the parchment and found traces of the potion that you used on it. However, in all of the tests that we have run on Mr. Weasley, we were unable to pinpoint the exact charm that was used. Can you explain why you felt the need to use both of these?"

"I just wanted Draco to notice me. And I knew from the description of the potion that a charm would be needed to solidify its effects." Doing things to be noticed was something the Headmaster would write off as a typical teenage stunt and she knew Dumbledore would accept this explanation. She also knew that Snape would know that there was more to the story, which the snort she heard from his seat confirmed.

Snape began to speak. "Did you ever wonder why Love Potions are so tightly regulated and controlled? Every Potions Master and apothecary must report every batch made as well as every sale of the product to the Ministry of Magic. Illegal brewing of these potions is serious and usually the punishment is harsh. If you had read the warnings at the bottom of the page as well as the following page, you would have noted that there was an extra ingredient - an ingredient that has nothing to do with the actual effect of the potion. Did you notice this?"

"I wondered why it was there, but looking at the properties-"

"Fiona, that ingredient is added for one reason only – to keep wizards from using it with love and lust charms. The _Furere_ _Aliqua_ Potion is one of the strongest there is. When it was first developed, a group of dark wizards were using it to seduce young witches in order to dominate them and bring them under their power. However, they found that the potion was not enough on its own and these wizards began to test it in combination with various charms in order to increase the effectiveness."

Dumbledore then explained how the Ministry of Magic had discovered what this group was doing. The Department for Magical Law Enforcement issued a directive to the creator of the potion to do two things, whom at the time was the only one with the recipe. First, an ingredient was added to the potion to make it 'less desirable' to use with the charms. Second, the potion would be rendered ineffective if the ingredient were not added.

These changes made it so when it was used with any of the known "love" charms, a Heart Binding would occur. However, it was not just a simple Heart Binding. It was one that made the wizard submissive to the witch he was trying to seduce. Additionally, if the two were separated for long periods of time, the wizard would become very ill and unable to function. The strength of the bond was dependent on the strength of the wizard.

Snape broke in to finish the explanation. "Since the potion was highly regulated and could only be made by Potions Masters, all of whom were male at the time, the side effects were gender specific rather than geared toward the castor of the charm. That is why the warning is there. To keep the wizarding community from abusing the potion." He stared at his student, the disappointment evident in his eyes.

Fiona sat back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting the information run through her mind. So due to her own stupidity (which she readily admitted at this point), there was a young man in the Hospital Wing. And the only way to get him out of the infirmary was for her to spend time with him.

Professor Flitwick was consulted about the strength of the bond. Even though her potion was flawless (Snape had stated this with barely concealed pride in his voice), Fiona's charm was not very strong. They concluded that the bond was not a permanent one and in fact, they thought it would more than likely last less than a year.

When Fiona finally was allowed to leave the Headmaster's office, she felt like she could not be more humiliated. Over the course of that hour she had lost fifty points for Slytherin, received a week of detentions, and been assigned tutoring sessions. The fifty points and detentions were for being out after hours. The tutoring sessions were Dumbledore's unique punishment for her use of the potion and charm.

As the only way for Ron to get better was to spend time with his bonded, the old wizard designated daily meeting times for the two students, at least two hours every day. Dumbledore assigned Ron Weasley as a DADA and Charms tutor for Fiona while on the flip side, Fiona would be expected to tutor Ron in Potions, even though he was a year ahead. 

Fiona found herself being escorted to the Hospital Wing by Snape after leaving Dumbledore's office. For the second time that day, she found herself running in order to keep up with her teacher. Neither of the Slytherins spoke, as both were deep in thought. 

To Fiona, Professor Snape was everything she had expected of her own father. She loved her father dearly, but as a Ravenclaw, he did not understand her as well as her Head of House. As a master of potions and a Slytherin, Snape had been a mentor to her. To have displeased Snape was worse to Fiona than if she had hurt her own father.

Snape opened the door to the infirmary and ushered Fiona in. As she passed him, he placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her and murmured, "Miss Austin, I think that you have already concluded my intense disappointment in your actions. Rest assured that I will be watching you closely."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

He removed his hand and left her alone in the doorway.

Taking a deep breath, Fiona walked into the Hospital Wing. The beds were all empty except for one that was situated across from Madam Pomfrey's office. The redheaded Gryffindor lay on his side, curled up in fetal position. He had watched her with Snape and now his eyes met hers as she crossed the room. A shiver ran up her spine at the intensity of the anger she saw.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"What do you want? Come to taunt me some more?" 

She was surprised by the pain and anguish in his voice, but did not let the surprise show. "No, I came to help you get better. And to tell you that I am sorry."

"An apology from a Slytherin? Did hell freeze over while I've been in here?" Ron rolled to his back, anything to get away from her, and moaned as a wave of pain hit him. Madam Pomfrey heard the groans and rushed out of her office to his bedside.

Noting that Fiona was there, she moved a chair to the side of the bed. "About time the Headmaster sent you up here. Now, sit down child, and hold his hand."

"Hold his hand?"

"Didn't Professor Dumbledore tell you anything? If Mr. Weasley is separated from you for too long, he gets ill. The bond usually doesn't need physical contact, but as sick as he is, it is the fastest way of treating him at this point. Now do as I said." The medi-witch looked aggravated that a student dared to question her treatment of a patient.

The sixth year grasped Ron's hand and was rewarded with an immediate sigh of relief from the patient. Madam Pomfrey bustled around for a few more moments, placing a glass of water on the small table next to the bed and handing another to Fiona. She studied the girl seated next to the bed.

"With you here, he should fall asleep soon. You will need to stay here for the rest of the evening. I'll have the house elves bring some supper for you both." Fiona could hear the disapproval in the older witch's tone. She obviously did not want the girl there, but had no choice since her patient needed her to recover. Fiona nodded her thanks.

The medi-witch returned to her office, leaving the two students alone. Fiona reached into her bag and pulled out her Herbology textbook, intending to study as she sat there. She sat up and saw that Ron's eyes were on her. 

"Why?"

That one word resounded through the large room, echoing back into Fiona's head. _Why?_ How did she explain to someone she didn't know that it was all her stupidity, that the culmination of a series of mistakes that did this to him? Where would she even begin? They sat there in silence while she tried to find an answer for him. Finally she spoke.

"I…"

But he was already asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

When their meals arrived, Ron had finally awoken from the much needed rest. It had taken Madam Pomfrey and the Headmaster hours to discover the cause of his illness and then more time to put the events together and get the full story. By the time Fiona had met with Snape and Dumbledore, Ron had spent two days in the Hospital Wing, unable to sleep for long stretches due to the pain and nausea.

After the redhead had awoken, Fiona could see the relief in his eyes. The Headmaster had arrived after supper and given Ron the full explanation at that time. As Dumbledore spoke, Fiona knew that the Gryffindor's gaze was on her, but she could not bring herself to meet his eyes. Instead, she focused on their hands, still intertwined on the edge of the bed.

The old wizard took his leave and again the two students found themselves alone. Ron was the first to speak.

"So this was all supposed to happen to Malfoy?" He spoke softly, the only hint of emotion was his eyes blazing as he spoke his rival's name.

"This was not supposed to happen to anyone."

"But it did. And I have to suffer for it." He sat up and leaned back against the pillows.

"I never meant…"

"Does it really matter?" He interrupted her with a wave of a hand. "I'm too tired to fight about it."

Fiona smirked at his comment. "I was wondering where that infamous Weasley temper was."

He barked out a short laugh. "Don't push it, Austin. I'm just happy that I'm not puking up my insides any longer. I can be angry tomorrow."

They parted on civil terms later that evening with an uneasy truce after making tentative arrangements for the tutoring sessions. Fiona was certain that no matter what Ron said to her now, his anger would be lurking just below the surface, ready to explode at any moment. Ron, on the other hand, was confused by the first civil conversation he had held with anyone from Slytherin. Both were wary of the other, but willing to try to work together until the bond faded. 

Ron stared at the ceiling of the room, watching the shadows made from the flickering lights dance around. His mind was too active for sleep, his "situation" constantly running through his head. When he had first heard the words the Headmaster spoke, he had felt a surge of anger, but it had quickly faded. As he had sat there holding Fiona's hand, he had almost felt…delight? Content was probably a better way to describe it. 

Ron knew that he should be angry. He knew that the infamous Weasley temper that he had inherited from his mother should be compelling him to yell and scream and possibly even throw small items around the room. 

Feeling very uncertain of his actions and feelings, Ron rolled over and eventually drifted off to sleep.

Fiona had made her way back to the Slytherin common room, arriving just before curfew. As soon as she entered, she was met with stares from the sixth and seventh years that were gathered near the fireplace. She moved toward the group and was met halfway by an angry-looking Malfoy.

"Nice of you to join us." Draco snarled at her. "Did you finally remember that we are better company than the Weasel?"

Confused about how they had known whom she had been with, Fiona did not know what to say. "Well…" she began.

"Pansy was in the Hospital Wing earlier for a headache potion. She saw you there," said Draco accusingly.

She could see Pansy out of the corner of her eye. The older girl was curled up in a chair with a very satisfied expression on her face.

"I've been assigned to tutor Weasley in Potions. I had to go to the Hospital Wing to make the arrangements."

Draco thought about this for a moment. "And tutoring involves holding his hand?"

"You know that you can't fight Madam Pomfrey. She ordered me to hold his hand, since apparently his friends couldn't be found." This was at least partially the truth – she had been ordered to hold his hand. There was no way that she was going to tell what really happened. No, the information of her stupidity would not be broadcast from her mouth.

"Do you know how it looked? Did you even stop to think how it reflects on our house? How it reflects on me? To have my girlfriend associating with that pureblood traitor?"

The common room was silent except for a few whispers. All attention was focused on her and Draco. Fiona tilted her head to one side and gazed at the blond in front of her.

"Am I your girlfriend?"

In one swift movement characteristic of his seeker skills, Draco stepped toward her, pulled her close and kissed her.

Ignoring the shriek from Pansy and the astonished gasps of her friends, Fiona relaxed into his arms and allowed him to dominate the kiss. It was hard, fierce, and passionate, a kiss that was performed to claim ownership, not to proclaim undying love. Nonetheless, she knew she was lost.

She broke free of his hold and stared at him for a moment. Then, leaning in toward him, she whispered in his ear before leaving the common room for her dormitory. 

"Careful, Draco. Someone might get the idea that you care."

Fiona closed the door gently behind her and leaned back against it. She could not believe what she had just said to Draco. She knew that he did not like simpering girls who agreed with everything that he said, but had she gone over the line? He had just announced to the entire room that she was his girlfriend and she had to go and say something like that to him. This was going to replay in Fiona's mind for hours – not to mention what her friends would say when they came to bed. She moved away from the door, knowing that it was going to be a long night.

Sure enough, not five minutes passed before the door burst open and she heard footsteps entering the room.

"Fiona! Fiona!" The dark green hangings around her bed were yanked open. Dara flung herself down on the bed and began to babble while Jillian and Grace settled on the floor next to them.

"Oh, Fiona! What did you say to Draco? I have never seen that boy speechless, I mean, _never_, and there he was, standing in the middle of the common room looking stunned and then all of a sudden, he just smiled. Oh, it was the most precious smile, Fiona. I wish you had seen it."

Her best friends knew that when Dara was excited about something, the only time she would stop talking was when someone forced her to. Grace pulled out her wand and uttered a quick silencing charm to stop Dara in her tirade. Fiona sat up and looked at the two on the floor in shock.

"He…he smiled?" All of her worries were banished from her mind in that short instant. He had smiled! A real smile, not a trademark Malfoy smirk. She hadn't crossed the line after all.

After releasing Dara from the silencing spell, the four sixth year girls stayed up far too late discussing the incident and what they thought would happen tomorrow.

The Slytherin seventh year boys' dormitory was silent except for the sound of footsteps moving back and forth across the floor. Draco noticed that his roommates were steering clear of him and assumed that Blaise had warned the others to leave him alone. Vince and Greg had avoided Draco by going to bed, while Theodore had retreated back to the common room to work on his DADA essay. Blaise lay on his bed, watching his friend pace around the room deep in thought.

Draco had been astonished at his reaction to Pansy's announcement that Fiona was in the hospital wing holding the Weasel's hand. It had angered him that Fiona had given their housemates the impression that a Gryffindork was more important than he was. So as soon as she had returned he had lashed out with the anger. Those few minutes in the common room had shown him more than he had ever imagined.

The sixth year had been on target when she had whispered to him. Not the fact that he cared, but that he had allowed his emotions to take over and be exposed to others. That one statement had made it clear that she understood him better than anyone else he knew.

She was the perfect foil for him. While Fiona was pretty, she tended to fade into the background and allowed those she was with to take the spotlight, which Draco craved. She was smart enough to hold intelligent conversations, but accepting enough not to question every step he made. She was the calm to his emotion. She would be the perfect anchor to keep him grounded. And she certainly would keep him on his toes while at the same time assisting him in maintaining his image. After her remark in the common room, he had no doubt of this.

Draco knew that someone like Fiona would be exactly what he needed in the long term. None of Pansy's whining and whimpering. So the next logical step would be to move to cement the relationship. He knew just how to do this. Slytherin House would be getting a shock at breakfast.


End file.
